A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on federal campaign finance, based on a Grand Rapids case, has implications for a Grand Traverse County prosecutor's investigation into whether Meijer Inc. criminally tampered with two failed special elections connected to its proposed Acme Township supercenter.

In a 5-4 decision Thursday overturning a 63-year-old Michigan law, the court ruling frees corporations, and by extension unions, to spend as much as they want to call for the victory or defeat of federal political candidates -- by name -- in commercials and literature.

As long as there's no coordination with the candidates or campaigns, Grand Traverse Prosecutor Alan Schneider said Thursday's ruling will, in effect, take the teeth out of his ongoing criminal case against the Walker-based retailer and others involved in 2005 and 2007 elections in Acme Township because he no longer can pursue a felony charge in this case.

While Schneider plans to continue his investigation, he now is limited to going after misdemeanor violations. This means Schneider can't subpoena Meijer's top officials or the retailer's records, he said.

"Investigative subpoenas are used to enable you to question an uncooperative witness or obtain documents you are not otherwise able to obtain," Schneider said.

Schneider said the court's decision overturns Section 54 of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, which prohibited corporate funding of candidate campaigns. It was the only violation that could be prosecuted as a felony.

Meijer previously acknowledged it may have violated the law in 2007 when its money was secretly funneled to a third-party group to try to unseat most of the Acme Township board. The recall failed.

"Obviously that was the primary focus of the investigation, but not the only violation," Schneider said.

Meijer attempted to close the case two years ago when it acknowledged to Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land's office it may have violated state campaign finance law after its role was disclosed during depositions in a lawsuit filed by Acme Township officials against the retailer. Land levied a civil fine of $190,000 against the retailer.

Additionally, Meijer and the store's developer later paid $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by five township officials who said they were harmed with frivolous lawsuits and illegal campaign activity. When Schneider tried to continue his criminal investigation, a Grand Traverse Circuit Judge ruled in April 2008 that Land's office had exclusive jurisdiction to handle campaign finance law violations.

But the appeals court ruling reversed that, allowing Schneider to continue his investigation.

Earlier this month, Meijer appealed that ruling to the state Supreme Court -- but the court hasn't said if it will hear the case.

Lansing attorney John Pirich, who is representing Meijer in the case, said he didn't know what impact the court decision would have on Meijer's appeal.

"I'm not going to comment until I get a chance to read the 200-page decision," Pirich said.